4 Types of In-App Content That Drive Retention

Great developers know that great content is absolutely crucial to the app experience. The snazziest features and the best utility in the world are practically worthless if they're not supported by relevant, meaningful content that informs, entertains and delights app audiences.

Unfortunately, coming up with great content is easier said than done. Doing so requires a keen understanding of what type of content your users want most and an almost innate ability to deliver it to them in a timely and relevant manner.

Below, we list four different types of content that we’ve seen app developers use to help deliver better experiences to their users and ultimately increase user retention.

User generated content
User generated content, or UGC, is a powerful engagement tool. Health app Owave generated 120% more app activity by asking users for photos, with the promise of a $100 gift card for the user with the most liked photo. Online news email theSkimm got 13,000 users turned brand ambassadors to share meetup events for the app launch.

Consumers are more influenced by photos and videos from other users than content from brands. And the majority of users are also open to user-generated campaigns from brands, provided that brands tell them clearly how to participate.

Users are likelier to download a brand’s app because of loyalty programs. Businesses can sustain interest by enabling customers to keep track of points and progress through the app, as digital loyalty programs is one of the top three reasons consumers use a mobile wallet, along with boarding passes and coupons.

Straightforward onboarding content
The digital wallet app Lemon Wallet increased customer retention 57% by providing users with a straightforward path to registering a credit card, rather than forcing users to explore the app on their own. The developers of QuizUp discovered that users who linked their social accounts retained longer than users who didn’t, and it increased retention by 60% after implementing an onboarding process that emphasized social features.

Users get decision fatigue when faced with multiple choices, and can altogether abandon an app in frustration. While some apps may need a longer onboarding process than a simple email sign-up, developers can keep users clicking by applying a “one concept, one screen rule.”

App developers can monitor which content works and which doesn’t by tracking incoming users. Contact us at info@tenjin for questions on setting up your own custom dashboard.